Heteronuclear rare-gas dimer bonding: Understanding the nature of the Rydberg states that dissociate to the highest energy level of the Xe*(5d) manifold

Rydberg states of the rare gas dimers

This work is dedicated to Gerhard Herzberg and his prodigious contributions to molecular spectroscopy. Of particular relevance here is Herzberg's seminal 1987 article (Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 38, 27 (1987)) in which he discussed the electronic structures of several groups of molecules he termed "Rydberg molecules". Among these are the rare gas dimers (Rg2), a group whose study has benefited significantly from recent advances in laser excitation and synchrotron-based spectroscopies, as well as in theory. Following the spirit of Herzberg's 1987 article, this paper reviews some of the more prominent features of Rydberg states in the Rg2 family as viewed from the current perspective.Key words: rare gas dimers, rare gas dimer excited states, Rg2 electronic structures, Rydberg states of He2, Ne2, Ar2, Kr2, and Xe2, electronic states of He2, Ne2, Ar2, Kr2, and Xe2.